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Reply | Tonda possible ban?
at 12:48 17 Jul 2026
My belief is, that they will announce it the week leading upto the start of the season (first league game) to have the maximum effect and to cause the most disruption to SFC. I know that is a cynical view and hopefully I am very wrong but I don't trust any of them. However, it would remiss if SFC and the board have not considered the worse possible outcome and do not have a plan in place should that happen as they have had plenty of time to consider the options and possible outcomes and the potential consequences. |
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Reply | France V Morocco
at 23:09 9 Jul 2026
France won with ease without having to stretch themselves. They were functional and did the job. They did what they had to do to get through. I would be happy if we won like that. It is all about getting through with as little drama as possible. Morocco were disappointing. I thought they would offer more even though I didn't expect them to win. |
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Reply | Great Result
at 10:33 6 Jul 2026
I don't think we got away with it at all.
I think we showed tremendous spirit, determination and attitude that I have not seen in an England team for a very long time. Yes, we weren't perfect by any means, but the game had everything and both sides contributed to a wonderful game of football. It was backs to the wall stuff after going down to 10 men but how often have we seen that with Saints and been proud of them for it. I have rarely been able to say it about England, but I was proud of our performance. I thought all the players put a shift in. Bellingham was immense and Pickford (who can be erratic) was dominant in goal. |
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Reply | Are You Looking Forward To The New Season
at 13:44 30 Jun 2026
It has nothing to do with how our season ended but I just feel like I need a break from football. For me the season starts all too early and this year with 6 weeks of the World Cup it never ends. I suspect it is an age thing but I used to be able to say that is the football season over, some summer and then we start again at the end of August (usually around bank holiday). |
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Reply | Stewart off then.
at 13:24 12 Jun 2026
Very disappointing. I don't know if the club have made any effort to see if he would sign a new contract or whether they were happy to let him go, or whether he was not interested any way, so I am a bit reluctant to say anything negative but if he had a chance to stay and he indicated he wasn't interested then that would be disappointing. |
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Reply | Ross Stewart - Sports Republic mess up again
at 10:00 8 Jun 2026
I don't know the in's and out's of all this, but from what I do understand this could be one hell of a cock up by the club and could prove very costly in terms of our promotion chances for next season. A good striker is almost priceless and hard to find. Ross was showing real promise and I fear now someone else will benefit from him after we nursed him back from a long injury. |
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Reply | Breaking news - Peretz signs
at 15:34 5 Jun 2026
It is excellent news after so much negative stuff but at risk the of being a doubting Thomas, I think the proof will be if any key outfield players of quality decide to sign and stay. One swallow does not make a summer. |
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Reply | This FA review - how long is it going to take?
at 12:58 1 Jun 2026
My fear is that the FA are not going to rush this. They have no need to and will not care one iota what impacts it will have on SFC, indeed they may see the dragging of it out and making us sweat to their advantage, in that, cynically, I don't believe those in charge really care what happens to us as a club (unlike say some of the more pronounced and bigger teams). They may delay anything until post world cup, though there is no logical reason for doing so. Indeed there is no logical reason for them not coming up with an outcome now.
But, if it drags on and the decision is to ban Eckert etc for some length of time, and opportunities to replace with a "decent manager" and purchase players could be missed and could have a greater impact on the next season that the current 4 point deduction. The FA may also be concerned that SFC are not taking the lead on Eckert and see it as a sign of lack of contrition. I am not saying that is the case but I am second guessing like everyone.
SFC I hope, are onto FA for an outcome. I have to assume though that SFC to all intents and purposes are wanting to retain Eckert because if they really believed he has done wrong to the team and club and they saw his position as untenable surely they would have dispensed with his services by now.
SFC have been extremely quiet since their short apology and we need to build trust message. Unless I have missed it, nothing since. That may be a deliberate ploy or to help ensure they do not rattle the cage too much or it may be they have gone on holiday. Who knows, but my over-riding feeling that this is another summer of uncertainty which will impact our season or certainly the first quarter of it.
Though the noise about spygate has gone diminished for the time being, the ramifications of it to us as a club remain messy and disruptive. |
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Reply | Favourite Quotes
at 08:57 28 May 2026
Quote number 19 feels quite poignant Nick. Maybe some others could follow that mantra! Just saying.................
I was watching something last night after the news and Graeme Souness quoted Bob Paisley. He said, I was about to play my first game away at West Brom and the manager (Paisley) told me to get ready. I said to him "How do you want me to play? I have been here a week and no one has spoke to me to tell me how they want me to play". Paisley responded "I didn't spend the money that I did on you, to tell you how to play"
I have often thought that, when players complain or they perform badly week in and week out. I think, these are professionals, earning loads of money and having been playing football for many years and yet they expect to be told how to play! |
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Reply | Now Spygate Has Calmed Down Where Do Tonda Eckert And Southampton Stand
at 15:24 26 May 2026
The one thing I take issue with you Nick both in this piece and in a previous thread, is your dig at the fans again and about being hypocrites. What fan isn't at various times?
But, I was willingly chanting and supporting Eckert. We can only know what we know at the time and rightly or wrongly I still believed that despite the allegations Eckert and the team were taking us to Wembley so why wouldn't I support him/the team? You have complained bitterly before about the perceived lack of support from fans in the past.
I did not know the depth of the problem. I was not happy we may have been cheating, it is not for me what SFC stands for, though proportionately all teams cheat - what defines cheating? - falling to the ground when you feel the breath of a player, a goalkeeper who chooses to sit down in his box to stop the game, grabbing a few metres at throw in's, feigning injury, bending financial rules, VAR and officials being biased towards certain teams and decisions.
Whether Eckert knew the rules or not, what he did was wrong, but the noise, reaction and most of all the punishment was disproportionate. But, the SFC board, management, media, communications, whatever you call them handled the whole situation badly. At best they were and are still arrogant, at worst they are inept and incompetent. It is a bit like Cameron with Brexit - I didn't need to fight to remain because I knew the brexiteers would lose - our management stayed largely quiet and allowed MFC to dictate the agenda and the narrative because they just thought they would get a slap on the wrist and all would continue as if little had happened. Could you imagine Cortese just sitting back. You may not have liked him, but he had the media eating out of his hands, they respected him. The current SFC management, PR, Comms etc failed and are still failing miserably - the silence from them is deafening apart from a lame single sentence apology - yet it is us the fans that have to take all the brunt of this - the fans that you so under-rate.
But, getting back to my main point about supporting Eckert at the time. The thing that concerns me most out of his actions, is not the spying per se but the nature of the bullying of young interns. Will Salt's name has become synonymous with this saga. He is probably ruined. Other interns have mentioned feeling undue pressure and uncomfortable. It is not something I would ever do with my young apprentices. What sort of culture is that. Young, keen to make an impression, seeking a career. That is wrong plain and simple.
All that said, I think in the overall picture Eckert has been something we have needed for a long time. He brought an edginess, a winning mentality, never say die attitude and I am torn as to whether he should stay or go, though in the end it may all be decided for us. He is a young manager dragged out of the under 21's to steady a failing and under performing team. It was supposed to be temporary but he started turning the ship around and players that were possibly creating problems were shipped out and some new blood brought in. Finally SR and the manager appeared to be working for the betterment of the club. Eckert has great potential and I wanted him to take us up to the next level. So yes, I was proud to shout his name but I can't support the tactics he has used on young interns and possibly others to gain the information he was seeking (which has proven to not make that much difference). I honestly believe we would have made Wembley without the spying. MFC were largely a busted flush by the time the play-offs came. The scandal gave them some renewed energy for one first half of the home leg.
What concerns me is that this all drags on further and before you know it we are in August and the new season will be upon us and another season where we will not be ready. Do SFC management have a view, what is it, what are their plans now, what are the next steps, will fans who paid out to attend matches in good faith be rewarded somehow next season? Do they even care at all about us? I know football clubs no longer matter like they used to but they are usually quick to seek your money to renew your season ticket or membership. |
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Thread | Gibson and Middlesbrough Board
at 22:58 21 May 2026
Whatever you may think about the whole saga and Middlesbro' part in it, there is no disputing the fact that Gibson and his team played an absolute blinder. They owned the story, the narrative, the media and were on the front foot throughout. They put their club above everything else. We may dislike Gibson, but he is a chairman that puts the interest of MFC first and is prepared to fight tooth and nail for it. He has made sure that he has influence where it matters.
It was bad enough that we did what we did, but having done it, we were slow, not combative and ineffective and incompetent in our dealings throughout this saga. |
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Reply | Who is responsible ? Next steps.
at 08:11 20 May 2026
SR may not have been aware of what was going on (and this does look like an issue at team management and coaching level) but they are ultimately responsible for the governance of the club and no matter how you dress it up, they have to take responsibility - whether that is deciding who should stay and who should go or other measures. Like it or not, since SR have rolled into the club it has been one case of mis-management after another, at various levels over various seasons. There is a mountain now for the owners and this club to climb and they need to start now.
On a separate note, I mentioned the other day how bad we are at PR and communication. This morning the SFC website still displays things related to Saturday. No statement or nothing to the fans or the wider world. Don't use the (pointless) appeal as an excuse. They should have been working through the night to have changed that website. Behind the curve, slow to respond, dithering - seems to be the mantra of SFC owners and guardians of the club. |
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Thread | We never do PR very well
at 23:34 13 May 2026
One thing I have always felt about SFC, even in successful times, we are consistently poor at PR from dealing with the media, keeping supporters informed, providing information. It always feels like we are behind the curve, slow to respond, like a rabbit in headlights.
We have allowed Middlesbro' to take the initiative in the so called spying matter and to control the media and narrative. Asking for more time does not help us it makes it look even more suspicious.
If we have cocked up we would have been better admitting it at the outset even if the argument was that in Europe it is not considered an issue and rightly or wrongly our management team were not aware of the rules. But, whatever we say now will be too late, the train has runaway down the track and we have no influence now. Delaying our response has not helped us it has allowed anyone and everyone to decide that we are just plain cheats. Never mind that none of it has anything to do with the fact that Middlesbro' were just not good enough not just over 2 legs but since they started losing their position in the top 2 which had been theirs for over 20 weeks.
It doesn't seem to matter who is in charge of PR and Communications we consistently fall short. |
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Reply | What a fantastic season
at 23:33 12 May 2026
You are right Grumpy. When I think I wrote that long tome at one point wondering where the club was going, how rudderless it felt, how disjointed and displaced they seemed as a team on and off the pitch, how out of touch they were with the supporters and now that tome looks so ridiculous. For excitement, for twists and turns, for raw emotion we have had it all. It has been wonderful and from a football perspective you don't want it to end.
Now we have the drama off the field to contend with and not knowing whether we will be able to play at Wembley or if we do whether we will face some sort of massive points deduction to the start of next season whichever league we are in. It is a shame that the end of this rollercoaster season and the conclusion may not be down to us. All for a bit of analysis which at the end of the day probably had no impact on either leg and yet could cost us so dearly. |
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Thread | What a game.
at 22:56 12 May 2026
Keep on crying and whining you smoggies into the Tees, because the Saints are going to Wembley.
Hellberg can go to Hell and Gibson can do one as well, you were second for weeks and you blew the chance to go up yourselves.
Putting aside all the toxicity it was an enthralling 2 games.
I guess we wait now for the fallout. |
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Reply | Southampton FC Issue Statement On Spygate
at 15:30 12 May 2026
Well, even though they are saying nothing they are clearly not denying it and one assumes if there was nothing in the story they would have vehemently denied it very quickly because whatever way you dress this up, this has overshadowed this play off and the season to the point that it has left a nasty taste in the mouth whatever our mitigation may be.
It looks like we are trying to stall for as long as we can or get our ducks in a row/find some way of justifying the action.
I do think it has been blown up out of all proportion and compared to other forms of "cheating" that goes on, on and off the pitch, this should not even be a ripple, but like it or not, it has clouded the reputation of our club, team and manager when in reality it was needless and has just given ammunition not for just Boro but others to denigrate our club and our achievements this season. |
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Reply | Tigers beating the Lions 1-0 (n/t)
at 08:43 12 May 2026
It was a particular low point Saint 22. Hull played us off the park that day. We were awful in every sense alongside it being heavy rain and cold. If we get to the final, we will have to fight like they do to get the win.
If it is not us, I hope Hull do it. They avoided relegation by one place last season, I think they had a player buying embargo (I could be wrong) and they have little cash to do much but their manager has done exceptionally well to achieve what they have this season. They are not pretty to watch and they will probably struggle to get a win in the PL but if not us, then why not them. |
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Reply | Siege mentality
at 09:35 10 May 2026
That person could be Eckert himself. He is an analyst. Clearly, I and I am sure virtually all Saints fans would hate to lose him as our manager.
Whoever arranged it and if the club sanctioned it in any form then it was crass stupidity and it has smeared the name of our club and cast a huge cloud over what was otherwise ending as a good season where we had until now rebuilt our reputation and our football. This has given food and drink to the Saints haters and pundits and commentators for whatever reason can't stand seeing Saints doing well. Until now we held some moral high ground of being a club that against the odds can bounce back and mix with the best occasionally. This has pulled the rug of that reputation out from under of us. The thing is, alot of noise is being made and there are worse things that other clubs are allowing on and off the pitch which do not get dealt with or take years for action, but we are the type of club that the authorities like to and feel able to throw the book at because most will not care what happens to little old Southampton because we are a easy target. This incident has given them the opportunity to do that. |
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